Breathing apparatus



F. M. LUCHSET AL.

BREATHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. l2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l N V ENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Jan.

F. M. LUCHS ET AL BREATHING APPARATUS Jan. 5, 1932.

Filed Aug. l2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet R. 10 m E V N I A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 5, 1932 TUNITED sfrfATes PATENT FRIEDRICH M. LuCHs, or PITTSBRGII, AND FREDERICK w. KOEIIDRR, or. WILKINS- lBURG, IfnNNsYDvANIAAssIGNoRs To AMERICAN ATMos CORPORATION, oF PITTs- BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA BREATHING APPARATUS Appuction medAugust 12, 192s. `serrai- No. 385,154.

Our invention relates to breathing apparatus,land more particularly tothe mechanism within and attached to the flexible breathing bag for the simultaneous control of high pressure oxygen from an oxygen bottle into an expansion chamberand the release of the eX- panded gasV into the bag. f

It comprises a single operating lever automatically actuated v-by the collapse ofthe breathing bag, which 'member controls kthe opening of two valvesone from the eXpansion chamber to the bag, and the other from high pressure source into the expansion chamber. The control is positive, mechanical and direct,and prevents sticking of the parts, permits a structure wherein the valves ywill not foul by eXhalation products, andv is all con* tained in a single fitting outside, but close to the breathing circuit. Y

Other features of the invention and details of construction will hereinafterbe described and claimed. y

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are similarly designated-"- 'Figure 1 isa vertical section of one form of construction.

` Fig. 2 is a spiderto which the connecting springs of the lever arm,y are secured. Fig. 3 is a plate for attaching these springs 30 centrally to the lever.

Fig. 4 is a front view of thepvalve controllingy discharge from the expansion Chamber.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of. a simplified 155 form of apparatus.

Fi 6 is an elevation of the operating lever and tting. Y j Referring to Figure 1, one wall 10 of the bag is Xed to a supportingframe .of the 40 breathing apparatusand its opposite` wall 11, which isrelativelyimovable, is connected to the relatively stationary wall by the flexible rubber fabric 12, bellows-like. c e

This construction and lform of breathing 5 bagis well known. Y

A round hole is cut in fsuch a bag near its bottom in which is'inesrted a ittingwA forming the expansion vchamber and having a marginal flange 13, while on the 'interior of 50 theY bag isa Vsecuring ring v14 held against the Hange with the fabric between them, and secured together by screws, rivets or the like, as 15, in Fig. 6. At the bottom of the iitting,l outside of the bagis a screw nipple 16 forl connecting an oxygen bottle to the device. A packing washer 17 insures against leakage, and a valve seat 18 with a small hole through it, enters the fitting.

OFFICE Vithin the tting is a bell-crank lever 19 loosely mounted on a pin 20. Alined bores 21 and 22 are closed by the larger threaded end 23 of the pin 20. A coil spring 24 sur-k roundsy the pin between one side of the lever 19 and the head of the pin. g A valve closure 25 of non-combustible ma terial is seated in the horizontal 'arm of the bell-crank lever 19, and has a hole 26 through the arm to enable the closure to be driven out of the arm and be replaced. The other, vertical, arm of the bell crank lever has a grub screw 27 passing through it and is urged by a coil spring 28 in the direction of opening of 'thefoxygen valve to prevent sticking. A screw plug 30 is in a hole in line with screw 27 for the insertion of a screw-driver, for ad' justing the screw.V e The inner end of the screw 27 passes through ahole 31 in a thin sheet metal disc 32 or closing wall for the expansion chamber, and is held in arecess in the inner face of the fitting by a screw ring 33.

Soldered, brazed or otherwise secured to the disc 32 is a flexible metal flap 34 covering the hole 31 in the disc and engaged by the end of screw 27. Engaging the opposite face of flap 34 is the shortk arm of an actuating lever 35 mountedon a p'n 36 held in lugs 37 extending from ring 14.

`Loosely passingthrough thelever 35 is a screw y38 whose head limits the swing of the lever to the left, as shown, and whosefthread-` ed end screws into the ring 14 as a grub screw. Alined with the screw 38 is a locking screw 39 provided with a sealing washer 40 and passing through the flange 13. y

By removing the locking screw 39, which is `ony the outside of the bag, the lever 'limiting screw 38, which is insidethe breathing bag,

can be Vadjusted by inserting a' screw-driver in its slotted or grub screw end to adjust the limit of swing of the lever 35 to the left, and thereby the pressure of plug 25 on the oxygen nozzle or seat 18. This lever is move from the relatively movable wall 11 of the bag, for which purpose it carries on its outside a three-armed spider 41, through the ends of whose arms pass screw studs 42 held by nuts 43 on the inside of the bag and having holes-44f through whichone end of three coil springs 45 pass respectively. of these springs are connected to a sheet connector plate 46, Fig. 3.

The plate 46 is loosely mountedA on a bolt 47 in the end of the longer arm of lever 35. The connector plate 46 preferably has slight longitudinalplay on the bolt 47, as shown.

The adjusting screw 38 may or may not have a'V coil spring surrounding it between the lever and the ring 14, as spring48.

The` operation isas follows As the oxygen content of the bag is consumedand converted into carbon dioxide by the wearer and removed from circulation by the usual regenerator, the volume of respirable gases is. decreased, the bag collapses, the movable wall 11 moving toward lever 35 and moving the lower,.shorter arm away from the ila 34. The screw 27 acting on the opposite si e of the flap `follows up this movement by reason. ofspringrv 28 acting on bell-crank lever 19, ywhichopensthe oxygen. control valve 25, 18,. admittingA oXy-gen into the expansion chamber and thence through the hole 31 past the Hap 34 into the bag.

As the bag. distends the movable wall 11 moves-away fromthe lever 35 and the springs 45vpull the lever with them to close the iiap and re-seat the oxygen valve until the lever rests-against and is stopped, by the head ot screw 38.

Ilf spring, this construction steadied.

A. slight, further distension of the bag is permissible by reason of the springs 45 which permit the movable wall of the bag to respond to respiratory movement while holding the valvesclosed.

In.Fig. 5 the structure is similar to Fig. 1, but the lever 35a is-not connected to the movablewallll. This wall has a plate 50 inside the bag that moves against the end of the lever, andthe tension in the bag is controlled` by. aspring 51 connected at one end to thc plate and/.having at its other end a screw 52 outside of the bagon the relatively stationary wall 10. The screw is provided with a nut 54 anda gas-tight washer 55.

In this constructionthe lever 35 is urged to closing position solely by coil spring 48. Infother respects the construction is like that of Fig.' 1.. s

'Wev claim- 1'. The combination with a breathing bag; ofk an expansion chamber mounted on one metal as 48, Fig. 5 is` also used in the lever. is considerably The other ends wall thereof, a valve in said chamber to admit high pressure gas thereto for expansion therein, a low pressure Valve to admit eX- panded gas from the chamber into the bag, and an operating lever actuatedby the movement of a wall ofthe bag'to operate the low pressure valve and said valve directly and mechanically operating the high pressure valve.

2. rPhecombination withabreathing bag; of an expansion chamber mounted' om one wall of the. bag, a flap valve controllin the admissionv of expanded gas from said c amber to saidbag, means to open and close the valve, a high pressure valve in the expansion chamber comprising aseat and ai closure therefor, said closure being;` operatedy from the flap of the flap valve.`

3. The combination with a breathing- *bag; of an expansion chamber,.ametalelosur.e or. the chamber, a flexible flap coveringahole in said closure, a bellfcrank lever: in theel:- pansion chamber, one arm.of. which contacts with the flap, a valve closure on itsrother, arm, a valve seat engaged by. said closure, said seat being arranged. for connection toa source ofhigh pressure gas,.and.means dependent on the movementof a-Wall of thebag, for controlling. the flap and thereby the'oper.- ation ot said: bellrcrank lever and valve closure carried by it'.

4. The combinationwith abreathingbag.; of an expansion-chamber, a metal closure for. the chamber, a flexible Hap cover-ingahaleinsaid closure, afbell-crank lever in die expansion chamber, one aum .ofwhichcontacts with the flap, a valve closureon itsotiher armrw valve seatengaged by saidclosure saidseat being arranged forconnectionto. a source of high pressure gas,.means dependent on; the movement of a wall of the bag for. controlling. the flap and. thereby the operation of said bell-crankv lever andthe valve closure car ried by it, andadevice to limit the movement of said means to prevent. undue pressure onv said flap 'and closure..

5. The combination withalv breathing. bag; of an expansion chamber, a closing member'. for thechamber having a hole'therein, aiilexible flap covering the hole,ailever in thechamber arrangedi fon operationzby.' said flap, a high pressure gas valve closure onsai'l'levexx,l means to adjust' the lever' relatively to the flap, and means tooperate thelapand there by the lever.

6; The combination witha breathingbag; of an expansion chamber, a closing member for the chamber having a hole therein, a'ilexible lap covering the hole, a lever in the chamber arranged foroperation by said'fliap, a high pressure gas valve closure on said lever, means to adjust the lever.relativelyY to the flap, means to operate the flap andtherehy. the lever, andfa spring inthe chamber to urge the lever into opening positionnof the closure through the lever and a locking screw alined and flap.

7 The combination with a breathing bag.; of an expansion chamber on one wall of said bag, a closure for the chamber having a hole therein to the interior of the bag, a flexible with the headed screw and removable from the outside of the bag, said operating lever actuated bythe movable wall of the bag.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we have signed our names i'iap covering the hole, a lever in the chamber, hereto.

an adjusting screw in one `end of the lever passing through said hole and engaging the flap, a spring between said lever and a chamber wall, an aperture in the chamber alined with said screw, a plug for said aperture, a valve closureon the lever, an operating lever in the bag engaging the flap in line with said screw, and limiting means for the operating lever.

8. The' combination with a breathing rbag i having a movable wall; of an expansion" chamber for the bag, a flap valve between the chamber and bag,ian operating lever whose short arm controls the valve, a spider on the movable wall, coil springs in the bagaeach r connected at one end of a spider-arm, a connec-ting plate to which all of the springs are fastened, means connecting the plate and lever, and limiting means for the lever. fr

9. The combination with a breathing bag having a movable wall; of an expansion chamber for the bag, a flap valve between the chamber and bag, an operating lever whose short arm controls the valve, a spider on the movable wall, coil springs in the bag each connected at oneend of a spider arm, a

connecting plate to which all of the springs are fastened, means connecting the plate andy lever, limit means for the lever, said limit means arranged inside the bag vand adjustable from the outside of the bag.

10. The combination with a breathing bag; of an expansion chamber mounted on the bag,

a flap valve between the chamber and bag, an y operatinglever in the bag operated by collapse of the bag to release said flap valve, a screw loosely `passing through the lever and having ahead to limit the movement of they lever and a slotted end, an alined locking screw operable from the outside of the bagr to engage the aforesaid screw, and a coil spring surrounding the latter screw to urge the lever.

ll. The combination witha breathing ybag f yme having relatively stationary and movableV walls; of an expansion chamber mounted in they stationary wall, a sheet metal cover for the chamber having a hole connecting the chamber andinterior of the bag, a flexible flap for said hole, a lever inthe chamber, an adjusting screw in the lever passing through sure Gas closure on the lever a s rin to ur e the lever to open said closure, an opening in Y the chamber in line with said screw, a closure for the opening outside the chamber, an opf erating lever pivoted to the chamber inside 

